April 30, 2016
The President’s Column on
Student Success
As summer approaches, and we celebrate students’ graduation, it’s a great time to revisit our main
strategic goal and the theme from the Spring In-Service activity. This year we focused on improving
customer service, and how we all impact our students success.
As part of that work, and to continually enhance interdepartmental communication, we asked all of the
departments to discuss what Student Success means to them, and How they are Making a Difference
toward improving student success. This edition of NC Statement is a compilation of many of those comments, for your review and discussion.
Student Success Means...
Making a Difference...
Business Office
Student success to me means, students are achieving their goals or making progress
toward their goals.
· Create a successful learning environment
· Show respect
· Be a resource
· Assist faculty and staff; work together as a team
· Provide quality service & customer service
We all play a part in student success!
· Helping students find a class room
· Smile and say hello to students in the hallway
· Ask a student if they need help when they look lost
Cashier’s Office
Cashier’s Office
Student being financially prepared to attend college, maintaining open communications between college personnel and the students, and meeting their expectations.
Financially prepared
· Informing students about the total costs of attending College both term costs
and total degree costs
· Registering students last minute that have not completed the Financial Aid
process without the expectation of payment
Communication with students
· Properly informed of financial implications of dropping classes
Faculty need to be aware of financial implications to students of recommending dropping and adding classes throughout the term
· Properly advising students on class schedule so that they are not taking classes
outside of their major that have costs implications due to financial aid not
covering those courses.
· Aware of payment deadlines
Expectations
· Realistic load for non-traditional students
· Course completion from all students
· Communication with students prior to and during a term is done via email
Facilities Management
Facilities Management
In Facilities Department, serving our students is our Mission.
· The Facilities Department strives to provide a safe and secure learning and work
environment for students, staff, faculty, and visitors
· Our Goal is to be a steward of the campus as we provide services in a proactive,
responsive, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable manner.
· We are committed to achieving excellent customer service while embracing the
increasing demands of a rapidly changing environment.
Student Success Means...
Human Resources
· It means . . . supporting the mission, vision and values of the College which in
turn promotes the success of our students.
· It means . . . supporting the total operation of the College through our most
valuable resource – our FACULTY and STAFF - which in turn promotes the success of our students.
· It means . . . assisting students in any way we can.
Information Technology
Making a Difference...
Human Resources
• Providing support, management, customer service and assistance to all of our
employees.
• Recruiting and retaining a qualified workforce whose primary mission is to ensure
the success of our students.
Information Technology Updates
IT is engaged in Student Success by providing the technology platform and tools
needed to promote student learning, growth, and Access to learning Resources.
NC State College’s Information Technology Department is dedicated to providing the
best possible access to online resources:
•Building robust network and server environments to support student devices.
•Creating and maintaining a secure network environment to ensure integrity of all
College business processes.
•Installing a new wireless network capable of handling student’s wireless access
demands in a 21st century learning environment.
Our Information Technology Department continues to assess and implement new
technologies to empower our students to be successful.
• Office 365 and its applications free to students.
• New high speed computers in computer labs.
• Spaces design with technology to foster a collaborative learning environment.
• Wireless access in all buildings.
Financial Aid Office
Financial Aid Office
What am I doing about it?
• Attending college costs money. The Financial Aid Office (FAO) helps students
obtain the funds to pay those costs.
• Obtaining financial aid can be a challenging process for students. The FAO helps
students to successfully navigate that process.
• Federal aid can be used for a wide variety of college-related expenses, not just
tuition. This enables students to afford the non-direct college costs such as books,
supplies, and transportation.
• Part of the financial aid array is student loans. The FAO helps students to understand the obligations caused by borrowing and helps them to not borrow too
much.
• Financial aid will only pay for required courses. This focuses students on taking
the courses needed for graduation.
• Financial aid rules require students to make satisfactory academic progress
toward earning a degree or aid-eligible certificate. This encourages students to be
academically successful.
Child Development Center (CDC)
Child Development Center
Student Success means Quality Early Childhood Education – so the student parents
The CDC helps our students and others by serving as a top quality teaching laborawith young children can attain their educational goals knowing their children are in a tory for college students preparing for careers working with young children and their
quality early childhood environment.
families.
Student Success Means...
Making a Difference...
Business, Industry, and Technology, Education, Professional and Public Services
Business, Industry, and Technology, Education, Professional and Public Services
1. It means many different things so this question has many...many.... parts. One item
I will choose to speak about is the following: student success for NC State College
means students are meeting/achieving the goals they have set for themselves 2. Student Success means – students can get the degree, training, certification, class,
etc that they need to improve their life situation. That may be to transfer to a different college, to improve at their current employment, to land a better employment
position, or to simply improve their life skills. Students can do this with minimal
“headaches” around scheduling, enrolling in the college, initial entry placement testing. Students can take classes when they want and how they want. 1. I make each student in each course state a goal they want to achieve in the course.
I personally work with them as they track their success in attaining their goal. If they
need assistance, I provide that. 2. I often challenge my students to identify what THEY want to take away at the end of
the semester. Sometimes it’s self-improvement, sometimes it’s better performance at a
current job, sometimes it’s a better job.
3. What am I doing about it? -- I am attempting to offer classes when and how
students want to take them. I am trying to keep a class schedule that minimizes
drive time between buildings. I am trying to promote 4-year schools that our degree
transfers into, so students do not lose any credits. I am trying to make sure our degrees
teach the best, most relevant materials for students by administering a nation-wide
exam that puts our graduates against others across the country. Health Sciences
Health Sciences
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Semester to Semester Course Completion
Year to Year Program Completion
Graduation
Passage of National Examinations (Where Appropriate)
Liberal Arts
• It is more than passing a course or a paper. It is evidenced by that moment
when you see the “I got it” look in their eyes. It is that moment when their
focus changes from grades to learning. It is when they want to learn more and
become passionate about a subject.
• Perhaps the best measure of students’ success is that they learn to think and to
question and to care.
• For me, student success is ALL about the student. For some student success is
the ability to steadily move from one course completion to another without the
disruption of progression. In other situations student success is the growth in
knowledge, passion and energy toward a career path that they have chosen.
Yet, for others we can contribute the growth in self-confidence, social maturity,
and character growth as signs of student success. Whatever we can attribute as
positive impacts in our students’ lives…these milestones are the markers
of student success to me. Student success is not just about completion but
complexion-those positive elements that make-up the composition of the new
student that we at NCSC have played a role in contributing to
Urban Center and Outreach
A successful student is one who has hope, a belief in herself/himself, and a
determination to persevere. If students believe they can, believe in themselves,
and are determined to achieve no matter the obstacles, they can be successful.
We understand that academic success alone does not define overall student
success and seek to provide service to the whole of their being.
Crawford Success Center
• Empowering students to achieve their educational goals
• Providing education for everyone
• Engaging students in their community
• Creating a well-rounded college experience
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Using Academic Liaison to Provide Appropriate Pathway for Students
Faculty or Tutoring Center Student Assistance Early in Semester
Course Development for Essential Objectives Only
Assist with Personal Situations or Problems
Liberal Arts
· Development of critical thinking skills - progressing one’s thinking, not taking
things at face value, being able to apply information learned to their own lives,
etc.
· Personal growth and empowerment - enhancing one’s abilities, realizing limitations and figuring out how to work with those seeking or accepting assistance
· Individual Accomplishments - this may be passing a class, writing a paper,
contributing in class, giving a speech, obtaining a certain GPA, completing a
degree, etc.
· Student learning, self-discovery, and personal and professional achievement are
all very important foundations of success as well within any institution of learning. However, I believe the foundation of all of this can only be accomplished after a sense of engagement and connection are attained for the student. My goal
here in relation to helping attain this is to show every student a sense of genuine
caring and an impression that I did everything possible during our time together
to help the student as best I could in any particular instance
Urban Center and Outreach
· We contribute by creating an environment of excellence that inspires and
encourages students to persevere.
· We create an atmosphere that honors students as human beings and inspires
them to achieve.
· We embrace the fact that we exist for our students.
· We prove daily that our students matter above all else through unparalleled
customer service.
· We respond to student needs and requests with urgency.
· We address any and all situations that negatively affect our students’ experiences at the Urban Center.
Crawford Success Center
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Tailoring course schedules to meet the needs of our non-traditional students
Creating a welcoming and accessible environment
Celebrating student achievement with student appreciation weeks
Hosting philanthropic events that encourage student participation such as Make
A Difference Day
Student Success Means...
Admissions, Student Success and Transition Services
· Student success is the reason we work in higher education.
· Student success means providing an enrollment, advising & educational experience that changes lives.
· Student success means removing barriers that may prevent students from getting higher education.
· Student success means providing clear and understandable information for
students.
· Student success means completing developmental sequence courses and accomplishing goals they set for themselves. (that could be completing a course,
certificate, improve GPA, or graduation)
· Student success means building meaningful advising relationships that empower students to persist semester-to semester.
Marketing, Public Relations & Creative Services
Helping students and their families make informed decisions regarding their higher
education choices
Foundation
· The North Central State College Foundation views student success as the student achieving their personal goal, no matter what that may be prior to leaving
NCSC (Associate’s degree, transfer to four-year institution, certificate, training in
a specific skill, etc.).
· Successful students will contribute to a more prepared workforce and growing
community.
· The best marketing for any institution is its alumni, and alumni who were
successful by this definition create positive feedback for the institution and its
product.
Making a Difference...
Admissions, Student Success and Transition Services
· Providing informative admissions and enrollment services; stream-lining processes
and student preparedness & understanding of appropriate enrollment steps.
· Providing clear information and processes for students.
· Providing the best customer service both on and off of campus.
· Success Coaches providing intrusive advising to ensure academic persistence and success.
· Strengthening career and testing readiness during enrollment, advising and orientation experience.
· Requiring that new and returning students attend Connect To College- mandatory
student orientation program.
· Continuing to launch student’s – Academic Planning & Registration- academic planning tools to create individual academic plans that guide students to completion.
· Reinforcing importance of DIRECTIONS advising program focusing on completion of
developmental sequence courses. (all developmental students required to meet each
semester with Success Coach)
· Advisor/Advisee assignment process – maintaining up to date advisor assignments
that are key to advising hand-off’s and smooth advising transitions.
· Expanding use of College Student Inventory (CSI) for spring 2017 to include all
students. (currently CSI used only with developmental/DIRECTIONS students)
· Enrollment Advisors & Success Coaches working in partnership with Academic
Liaisons to promote and encourage student success by providing a customer friendlypositive – can do attitude with students we serve!
Marketing, Public Relations & Creative Services
• Keeping NC State TOMA—Top of Mind Awareness; Attracting prospects; Maintain
visibility through market clutter; Publicity Opportunities and Exploring new media
• Keeping Tools Current—Accommodating changes; Transitioning to scalable web
Foundation
· Lessening barriers to success by easing potential financial hardship through scholarships and necessities funds. Create opportunities for students and alumni to network
and meet business leaders in the community.
· Celebrating the accomplishments of students and alumni and communicating these
successes to large audiences.
· Assisting faculty and staff with funding new and innovative ideas that contribute
to the success and preparedness of students both in the classroom and after they
graduate.
· Engaging donors and alumni to raise money and awareness for North Central State
College.